A Cold, Dark Place
by italiankutie57
Summary: Kristin, a hunter since childhood is brought out of retirement after the brutal murder of her boyfriend. When she crosses paths with the Winchesters she is forced to face her haunted past and overcome the trust in humanity she lost long ago. Will a Winchester win her jaded heart? Slightly AU as certain characters are not present. Rated M for language and sexual situations.
1. Chapter 1

The rain was beating steadily against the window, a thankful reprieve from the recent heat wave that had taken over the small town just outside of Baltimore. Thunder rolled in the distance and lightning lit up the night sky, illuminating the interior of the small one bedroom apartment. All seemed quiet on the inside save for the occasional light snore emerging from the left side of the king sized bed.

Her eyes shot open at the sensation of falling within her dream and for a moment she was disoriented by her surroundings. Blinking, she glanced over at the sleeping mound of her boyfriend just as another flash of lightning broke the darkness. His back was to her and he seemed unaware of her jolt back to reality. She blew out a breath but quickly clammed up again when a creak in the floorboard was heard from the living room.

At first it seemed like the normal sounds of a building settling, but as she craned her neck to listen closely another groan of protest from the wood rang out. Someone was in the apartment. The thought sent chills down her spine as she closed her eyes in an attempt to gather her wits. She knew that it would eventually come to this, living in a neighborhood so close to the city limits. Luckily, she had always been prepared for such an occasion and silently reached for her bedside table.

The small hallway outside the bedroom door was vacant as she slipped out quietly, her Glock 19 grasped tightly in her right hand, at her side. She slid down the hallway, her back against the wall careful not to make any noise as her bare feet padded lightly on the hardwood. Her senses were on high alert as she peeked around the corner into the living room. Nothing seemed out of place in the darkness as her eyes adjusted, but the feeling in the pit of her stomach told her that she was not alone. With a staggered breath she stepped into the room, her gun now drawn in front of her. Just then a bolt of lightning crackled outside and for a split second the entire room seemed to glow. She took the opportunity to scan the room and froze when she saw a shadow disappear into the kitchen.

With cat like prowess she made a beeline to the open doorway ready to pounce on the intruder. Her jaw worked hard as she rounded the corner and pointed the gun into the small space expecting just about anything except what she found. Nothing. With a scoff she lowered her gun just as a rumble of thunder shook the building. Just on the fringe of the bellowing sound she heard a sickening scream erupt from the bedroom.

_No. Jeremy._ Adrenaline pumped through her veins as she broke into a sprint, nearly colliding with the coffee table in her frenzied attempt to reach the bedroom. She burst through the door and almost collapsed at the horrifying sight. Blood. So much blood. Everywhere. She could feel her chest tighten and breath quicken at the sound of Jeremy's gurgling last breath. Time seemed to stand still as her eyes focused on the being standing beside the broken body of her boyfriend.

"You really thought you could just _retire_, Kristin?" The smile on his lips blurred as her vision became clouded with angry tears. A vengeful scream erupted from her mouth and echoed all around as darkness enveloped her.

She shot up in bed gasping for air and clawing at the invisible presence she was sure was before her. Her eyes darted around the room and it was then that she realized she was alone. Her skin felt clammy and the sheets clung to her from the combination of fear induced sweat and the temperature in the stuffy motel room. A small cry escaped her lips as she held her heaving chest and collapsed onto the pillow. Four months and the same horrible memory still plagued her dreams. Again she had to watch her failure. Her failure to protect her loved one, her failure to kill the son of a bitch that had taken his life, and her complete failure at successfully tricking herself into thinking that a hunter's life could just be swept under the rug. That one day, her past wouldn't come back to bite her in the ass and crush all hopes of a normal life.

With a sigh, Kristin flung back the covers and shuffled into the bathroom. She braced herself against the sink and stared at the haunted look in her hazel eyes. Her dark brown hair was pasted to her forehead and her normally porcelain cheeks were flush. Fresh tears threatened to spill over but she bit them back with a curse. She turned on the faucet and took a handful of cool water to splash onto her face. Sleep was going to be impossible for the remainder of the evening.

After drying off she padded over to the small table and fired up her laptop, determined to find something to keep her busy. Her Google search found several mundane news articles in the towns surrounding her current location, so she broadened the search. Her eyes flickered with interest when she settled on a continuing story out of Carlisle, Pennsylvania about several children going missing within the last few months. Most were stolen from their beds while others were thought to have been lured away by the same individual. Several eyewitnesses claimed to have seen a middle aged woman talking with the young children, but it never threw up any red flags at the time as the children seemed almost enchanted as if they knew her. It could be nothing, but Kristin didn't have any other leads to go on at the moment.

The next few hours were spent searching the best routes and listening to music on her iPod. Before she knew it the sun was trickling in through the curtains and hunger started to nag at her empty stomach. After a quick shower she threw on a pair of jeans, a dark blue tank top and her old, black leather jacket with the hidden pocket for her trusty old Glock. She ran across the street to the 24 hour diner and feasted on a ham, egg and cheese bagel with hash browns and the largest cup of coffee they had. It would be about a 6 hour drive and although she was used to being alone, she knew that a boost was always needed.

She climbed into her beloved gray '69 Mustang and deposited her gun into the glove box before hooking her iPod up to the auxiliary cable Jeremy had installed for her a year ago. He had been very handy with cars which is what lured them together in the first place. Kristin shook her head before another long lost memory could creep in and selected an artist from her heavy metal playlist. She smiled as "Bat Country" by Avenged Sevenfold came blaring from the speakers and fired up the engine.

"Dean, seriously, give it a rest," Sam groaned as Metallica's "Fuel" started again for the fourth time that day. They had been driving for five hours with only a quick gasoline and bathroom break along the way. As usual Dean had control of the music selection which most of the time was the same loop of classic rock.

"What? This gets me amped up." Dean threw a sideways smirk at his brother, knowing exactly what the repetition was doing to him. He started singing along and drumming on the steering wheel to exaggerate. Sam rolled his eyes and hastily ejected the cassette tape. "Hey! Don't touch my stuff, Sammy!"

"I'll stop touching your stuff when you stop calling me Sammy," he stated matter-of-factly.

"Ok, how does bitch suit you?" Dean turned to look at him, emphasizing the word 'bitch' with his eyebrows raised. Sam scoffed and shook his head before glancing out the window.

"Look, there's a motel up on the right. Stop there."

"So bossy, Samantha." Dean grinned. He had made it a game to torture his little brother for the entire trip. After being on the road without a case in a while, entertainment was few and far between so he had to find ways to pass the time.

He pulled the Impala into the vacant lot and shut off the engine just in time for Sam to hop out. Sam slammed the door and headed into the office before Dean could get another word in. He was glad to put some distance between them, even if it was only a few minutes. While Sam waited for the manager to grab a room key, Dean leaned against the car and surveyed his surroundings. Nothing seemed out of the ordinary, but not much would to any normal bystander. To Dean, it was the same small town with pretty little houses hiding a supernatural secret. At least, he hoped so for the sake of getting back to work.

Children went missing all the time, but the quantity and frequency of these kidnappings seemed a little odd. Also the fact that a woman, as opposed to a run of the mill creeper, was seen several times before the children went missing tugged at both of them. It couldn't hurt to check it out.

"Ready?" Sam nodded towards the trunk and Dean opened it so they could grab their belongings. As they headed to their room Dean heard a low rumble from an engine and a faint electric guitar studded tune coming closer. He glanced back towards the road just in time to see a gray Mustang speed by, windows down and music blaring. He couldn't see the driver, but let out a low whistle as the classic disappeared from view.

"Nice," he muttered before heading in and tossing his duffle onto the floor. "Nice," he muttered again in a sarcastic tone as he looked around at their new accommodations.

Kristin groaned as she stretched her arms above her head, grateful to be out of the car. She looked around as several locals passed by on the sidewalk, carrying bags and chatting with each other. Every now and then she would see a child held tightly by the hand of their guardian, an ever present alert look on their face. She wondered how many children were being held hostage in their own homes, their parents fearing the worst if they stepped outside for even one minute.

The town had a beautiful, historic, homey feel that made it even harder to grasp that there was real danger lurking about. Kristin walked, seemingly without purpose, down the sidewalk glancing in the windows of local stores. Every now and then someone would catch her eye and she smiled. Truth be told, she did have a purpose. She was getting a lay of the land before diving head first into the investigation. Even the smallest detail could help figure out what was really happening in this pristine little country town.

After a short walk she came upon a playground backed by a small patch of woods. She remembered from some of the articles that this was one of the sites where several children were last seen. As she neared, it was eerie just how empty it looked. No longer did the sound of laughing children fill the air and the swings swayed a little in the cool breeze. Kristin circled the area, observing the woods from different angles and wondering how deep they really went. It seemed like a logical place to lure unsuspecting children, but the local police hadn't found any evidence of importance. Some footprints, bent branches, but no clothing or blood that would lead to foul play.

Kristin walked up and down the line that separated the playground from the woods, glancing from her feet to the tips of the trees as she went. With a sigh she stopped, hands on her hips and kicked the ground absent mindedly. Her nose crinkled when she heard a soft crunch beneath her foot. Looking down she noticed a short length of snake skin that looked recently shed. She bent down to give it a closer inspection but froze as the hairs on the back of her neck stood up. It was that all too familiar feeling of being watched.

Kristin rose slowly, staring into the woods, knowing that the eyes upon her were originating from within. Her hand instinctively went to her inside jacket pocket but didn't draw her weapon. She waited, breath bated for someone or something to show itself. Taking a step forward, she was shaken from her intent when a group of teenagers came by, carrying on loudly about a concert they were going to later that evening. The sensation was gone just as quickly as it had come and Kristin backed away, dropping her hand back to her side.

Suddenly her stomach growled with contempt at not being fed since breakfast and she gave in to the request, heading back towards a little mom and pop restaurant she noticed when she first parked. She would refuel first then make an attempt to dig into the mystery surrounding this case.

The waitress smiled as she placed two glasses of water in front of the brothers, lingering a little longer than usual when they asked for a few minutes. She chanced another sideways glance at Sam as she turned to attend to another table across the room.

"I think she likes you, Sammy." Dean grinned at the embarrassment on Sam's face as he quickly looked over at the pretty blonde.

"Shut up," he mumbled before turning his attention back to the menu.

"Seriously dude, you need to get some. Make you more bearable to be around."

"Make _me_ more bearable?" Sam looked up with a scowl and a raised eyebrow. "You're the one who's been a huge pain in my ass the past few weeks."

"Perks of being an older brother, Sammy." Dean chuckled and sipped at his water. "No really though. I want to see you have some fun." Seriousness was in his voice now as the last few years flashed through his mind. Every time Sam got close to a woman it always seemed to end horribly and his brother deserved at least a few fleeting moments of happiness.

"Our definitions of fun seem to differ, Dean." Sam cleared his throat, not looking away from the menu.

Dean sighed and decided to let it drop for once. He would work on him later, after he had some food in his grumbling stomach. He didn't need to look at the menu because he knew exactly what he wanted; a bacon cheeseburger with fries and a slice of apple pie. Instead, out of habit he let his eyes roam around the restaurant, taking note of every person. An older couple here, a group of teenagers there, and a man in a business suit taking a lunch break at the counter no doubt. Nothing out of the ordinary.

Then, his eyes settled on a woman sitting towards the back near the bathrooms. She was facing towards the front door, seemingly taking inventory of the place just as he had been doing. He watched as she idly tucked a lock of dark brown hair behind her ear and noticed a brief flash of a tattoo on her left wrist, mostly hidden by the sleeve of her leather jacket. As she sipped her coffee their eyes locked for a fraction of a second and Dean gave a ghost of a smile in her direction. She blinked as if surprised but before another exchange could be made, the waitress returned.

"You guys ready to order?" Dean turned back towards the blonde and rattled off his order before glancing back towards the brunette that caught his attention. She was already on her feet, tossing a few dollars on the table for a tip. He watched as she crossed the restaurant towards the door and looked at him again. It was a brief look and then she was outside crossing the street before he could even blink. A rush of heat ran through his veins as she climbed into the Mustang he had seen earlier, appreciation flooding his features.

"Dean, are you listening?" Sam's voice broke the trance and Dean whipped his head back around.

"Hmm?" Sam sighed and watched as the woman in the Mustang drove away. He knew exactly what his brother was thinking, as usual. He had to admit, sometimes he was envious of Dean's ease with women. Still, he wondered just how much satisfaction he would get feeling the warmth of a woman next to him at night, just to feel the emptiness the next day. It didn't seem worth it to him.

"I asked if you wanted to hit the precinct first?"

"Yeah, yeah. We'll do that first then go talk to some of the witnesses." Dean turned back towards the window but the street was empty.


	2. Chapter 2

Kristin smoothed the wrinkles on her light gray blazer and fastened the last button as she climbed out of the car. Her hair was now twisted in a high ponytail that reached just between her shoulder blades. A laminated badge was clipped to the belt loop on her matching grey pants, with big black letters, PRESS and her photo.

She walked with confidence towards the small, blue two story house and knocked, patiently waiting for the owner. A petite woman in her 30s opened the door, eyeing Kristin curiously with her sparkling blue eyes. "Can I help you?"

"Hi, Mrs. Ferguson. My name is Veronica Taylor and I'm from the Baltimore Sun." Kristin stuck her hand out politely, waiting for the woman to take it. She did, although her grip was weak and tentative. "I was hoping to speak to you about the most recent child abduction. I heard you were an eyewitness."

The woman looked pained but nodded and opened the door so Kristin could step in. "I didn't realize Baltimore had an interest in our little town," she admitted, closing the door behind her.

"We're always interested in bringing awareness to crimes such as these. You'd be surprised how many tips come in and volunteers speak up to help the families involved." Kristin gave her a genuine smile and watched as Mrs. Ferguson rubbed the back of her neck. She ushered Kristin into the living room and sat down on the dark green sofa.

"I don't know how much help I'll be," she sighed. "I wasn't paying too close attention." A sheen of tears had gathered in her eyes and Kristin sensed that she blamed herself for not reacting during the abduction.

"Mrs. Ferguson…"

"Amy, please."

"Amy, can you tell me about the day in the playground?" Kristin poised her pen above her notepad, ready to take notes. She watched Amy swallow hard and take a deep breath.

"I was there with my daughter, Hannah. She's four years old." She nodded her head towards the ceiling. Hannah must have been taking a nap upstairs. "She was playing near the sandbox and I was talking to my husband on the phone. He's been away on business for two weeks." She paused, a flash of regret playing on her face. "I was distracted but I happened to glance up and saw a young boy at the edge of the property, just in front of the wooded area. A woman was crouched in front of him, whispering in his ear."

"What did the woman look like?" Kristin unconsciously leaned forward.

"She was middle aged, but very attractive. Long, black curly hair and tan skin. She looked like she was Italian or Greek or something. She was wearing a white sundress too." Amy shook her head. "I'd never seen her before, but the boy seemed to know her. He was combing his little fingers through her hair as she whispered, kind of like my daughter does when she cuddles close."

"What happened next?" Kristin looked up after jotting down a few notes.

"I uh...I looked away to check on my daughter. I swear it only felt like a few seconds, but when I looked again the boy and the woman were gone." Amy cleared her throat and uncrossed her legs. "I glanced around the playground but didn't see them. I kind of brushed it off though so I could continue my conversation."

"Mommy?" A small voice startled the both of them and Kristin turned to see a small girl in a pink nightgown standing in the archway. She held a stuffed, white kitten with a pink ribbon in the crook of her arm.

"Hannah, baby. What are you doing up?" Amy held out her arms, a silent coax for her daughter to come over. She shuffled over, wiping her eyes with her tiny hand and climbed into her mother's lap.

"The whispers keep me up." She rested her head against Amy's chest and sighed tiredly.

"What whispers, honey?"

"Outside. She wants me to come play." Both women stiffened at the confession and stared at each other. "Who is that, Mommy?" Hannah whispered.

"This uh...this is Veronica. She's a reporter." Amy was distractedly looking out the windows, hoping not to see the same face from the playground.

Kristin cleared her throat and moved a little closer to the edge of her seat, smiling at the girl. "I like your kitty, Hannah. They're my favorite animal. What's it's name?"

"Ginger." Hannah smiled and hugged the stuffed animal closer to her body.

"I like that name." Kristin shot a glance up at Amy and continued. "Does Ginger hear the whispers too?"

Hannah sighed and nodded. "She can't sleep either."

"When did you start hearing the whispers, Hannah?" Kristin made sure Amy wasn't giving her a look to silence her inquiry. Amy herself seemed very interested in what the child had to say.

"Last night. After Mommy went to bed." Amy covered her mouth as a gasp escaped her lips. Kristin put a hand instinctively on her knee and patted it softly.

"You said _she_ wants you to come play. What else does she say?"

"She says she wants to be my Mommy, but I have a Mommy already." Hannah reached up and stroked her mother's hair affectionately and Amy hugged her close.

"That's right, you have a wonderful Mommy," Kristin smiled. "So next time you hear those whispers, just tell her to go away and find your Mommy. Hug her close ok?"

Hannah nodded and started to give in to the sleep that plagued her, snuggling closer. Amy looked up at Kristin, a look of panic on her face. "Do you think it's her?"

"To be safe, I would make sure all of the doors and windows are locked. When is your husband due back?" Kristin whispered so as to not disturb the sleeping child.

"Saturday," Amy sighed with defeat. It was Tuesday.

"Is there anyone else you can stay with? A friend or relative?"

"I have a sister in Lancaster."

"Give her a call, see if you can stay with her until your husband is back in town. I'm actually on my way to the police station after this to get a statement from the Captain." Kristin stood, tucking her pen back into the spiral ring of the notebook. "I can alert them about this, maybe get a squad car out here to be on the look out." She was lying. The only look out would be her, this evening after Amy and Hannah were out of dodge. She was hoping to catch a glimpse of who or whatever this was trying to lure Hannah out of her bedroom.

Amy nodded and stood, hoisting Hannah up so the child could wrap her legs around her waist. "Thank you."

"One last question and it may seem odd." Kristin bit her bottom lip. "Do you have a lot of snakes in the area?"

* * *

Dean and Sam were just exiting the precinct as Kristin pulled into a parking spot across the street. Again she pulled on her blazer but traded in the laminate for an FBI badge that she tucked into her pocket. She adjusted her sunglasses as she looked both ways before crossing the street. She could hear a hushed conversation coming from two professionally dressed men as they neared her, but when she glanced up a flutter of recognition stirred in her stomach.

The same two men from the restaurant were a few feet from her and she briefly wondered if coincidences like this happened often to her. Most of the time, in this line of business nothing was coincidence and that made her wary. Just as the taller of the two happened to catch her eye, she ducked her head and purposefully made a beeline for the door.

Sam blinked and turned to watch her walk in, a brow furrowed. Although he hadn't been the one watching her every move earlier in the restaurant, he recognized her body type and stride.

"What is it?" Dean asked, noticing his brother's attention was elsewhere.

"Isn't that the woman from the restaurant?" Sam thrust a thumb in her direction, just in time for Dean to catch a quick glimpse before she disappeared into the building. He turned and squinted at the rows of parked cars and spotted the Mustang almost immediately.

"Must be. That's her car over there." They both eyed the car curiously before hopping into the Impala. "How'd you recognize her?"

Sam shifted in his seat and gave a noncommittal shrug. He didn't want to admit that the shape of her body in the form fitting outfit and slight sway of her hips gave her away. "Her hair. I remember the color."

Dean smirked at the feeble attempt. "Uh huh. Her hair has a nice _bounce_ to it right?"

Sam glared over at his brother. "I was thinking it was odd that someone, most likely some kind of law enforcement, was driving a car like that." He nodded towards the Mustang.

Dean shrugged. "So? I drive this baby."

"Exactly," Sam said pointedly. "Not really law enforcement."

Dean seemed to think about it for a moment then roared the engine to life. "I'll keep that in mind."

* * *

"How many of you are there?" The deputy behind the desk looked up at Kristin, confusion on his face.

"Excuse me?" Kristin furrowed her brow and snapped her badge closed.

"Well your two FBI buddies, Agents Hetfield and Ulrich just left a minute ago."

"Hetfield and...Ulrich? Seriously?" She arched a brow and nearly scoffed at the blatant farce. Something tugged at her brain. "Tall guy, blue suit with longer brown hair? Looks like a giant?"

"Yeah and his partner had a black suit, shorter hair. Kind of cocky."

"Of course." Kristin pursed her lips together, unsure of what to say next. She couldn't very well continue on without raising suspicion. "Damn rookies, always trying to one up me," she said with a hint of a smirk. "Sorry to waste your time. I'll sort this out back at headquarters."

Before the deputy could say another word, Kristin turned and burst through the front doors searching frantically for the two imposters. The rumble of the Impala startled her and she caught a glimpse of the two inside, but they were already pulling away down the street. "Son of a bitch," she mumbled. She thought twice about taking off after them, but decided against it to avoid detection. Besides, she had a feeling she would be seeing them again soon.

* * *

"This is the woman that saw the last abduction?" Dean peered out the window, watching the young mother pile a few suitcases into the car in the driveway. She seemed agitated, glancing nervously over her shoulder every few seconds.

"Yeah. Amy Ferguson." Sam read from the notebook he used to scribble some notes on at the police station. "Says she saw a woman whispering to a young boy in the playground just before they both disappeared."

"Alright, let's see what else she has to say." They both emerged from the car and approached the woman as her back was turned.

"Excuse me, Mrs. Ferguson?" Sam asked politely, wincing when she jumped a little. "Sorry, we didn't mean to startle you."

"Agents Hetfield and Ulrich, FBI." They both pulled out their badges at the same time and quickly snapped them shut, a routine they knew all too well. Amy put a hand to her chest as if relieved, but also wrinkled her brow in confusion.

"That was fast. I didn't realize she would send federal agents instead of the police though."

"She?" Dean asked quizzically, shoving his hands into the pockets of his black dress pants.

"Yes, Veronica Taylor. That reporter from Baltimore. She was just here about a half an hour ago." Amy turned back towards the car when she heard Hannah whine for a snack. "She said you guys would patrol my house while I'm gone."

Sam and Dean exchanged looks, thoroughly confused by the turn of events, but not wanting to let on that something was wrong. "Yes, we received a call from Captain Morris about the situation, but we didn't get a chance to speak with Ms. Taylor directly." Dean cleared his throat and continued. "Would you mind telling us what happened for the record?"

Amy went through the whole story, from the woman she saw in the playground to the eerie revelation her daughter had when she awoke from her nap. Sam jotted down some notes as she spoke. "Veronica was the one who suggested I go stay with my sister. She said she was on her way to the police station anyway and would pass on my information."

Sam and Dean seemed to have the same moment of clarity and exchanged hard looks. The woman from the restaurant, the one who whisked by them at the precinct, was no doubt the same woman calling herself Veronica and posing as a reporter.

"Thank you so much for your time Mrs. Ferguson. We'll be back later on this evening to keep an eye on things." Sam smiled and shook Amy's hand, Dean following suit.

When they were far enough out of earshot, Dean leaned in. "Who _is_ this chick?" Sam shrugged and leaned back against the Impala looking up at the house.

"Maybe she really is a reporter or maybe…"

"Another hunter." Dean finished, a scowl on his face. "Well she damn sure isn't stealing this case from us."

"So we have the monopoly on saving people now?" Sam curled his lip into a smile. "Maybe she can help."

"We don't need any help, Sam. We've done just fine on our own." Dean opened the door to the Impala and climbed in, not waiting for Sam to get in before turning the key over. Sam sighed and followed suit, glancing over at his brother. He opened his mouth to say something but the decided against it.

"So what now?"

"We change out of these monkey suits and come back later to scope the place out. Maybe whatever was whispering outside the kid's window will come back to collect." Dean threw the car into drive and sped off down the road towards the motel.

* * *

Kristin was just finishing the last bite of her pizza and slipping into a pair of jeans when the familiar growl of the Impala came within earshot. In two strides she was at the window, peeking through the curtain just enough to see the black beauty pull into the empty spot just a few doors down from her room. Her eyes narrowed as they emerged from the car, the shorter of the two scowling as his gaze fell upon her Mustang. He took a few steps towards her baby, the taller man on his heels.

"Shit," she muttered, realizing he recognized the ride and had most likely started putting two and two together. She had a feeling their investigations would criss cross, especially after her rude awakening at the station this afternoon. She backed away from the window and grabbed her jacket from the back of the chair and shoved her laptop under the mattress.

She headed for the bathroom and wrestled with the small window, cursing as it groaned in protest. Just when it finally gave, a pounding on the door made her jump. "Hey, open the door!" a gruff voice rang out followed by another, calmer voice. "We just want to talk, Veronica, or whatever your real name is."

Kristin smirked and pulled herself up and out the window, landing with a soft thud on the other side. She quickly closed the window behind her and skittered along the wall in a crouch. As she neared the end of the building she heard another, louder knock on her door followed by an obscenity from the shorter man.

"Maybe she isn't here, Dean," she heard the other man say as she peered around the corner. The taller man was running his hand through his hair, obviously frustrated while Dean - she knew his name now - pulled out something from his pocket. Her mouth dropped open as he leaned over to pick the lock.

That ballsy bastard, she thought to herself, suddenly feeling violated by the intrusion. Still, it would be a distraction while she attempted to make it to her car. He was quick to disengage the lock and pull his weapon, leaning in slightly before signaling to his partner that all seemed clear. His companion sighed, shook his head and followed Dean inside.

The second Sam's head disappeared into the room, Kristin sprinted to the driver's side of her Mustang, flung the door open, jumped in and turned the key over. The noise alerted her comrades but she threw the car into reverse and damn near pushed the pedal through the floor just in time to see Dean fling himself out of her room. She backed the car into the street and in a furious squeal of tires, turned in the direction towards town. Dean ran full speed but only managed to get about halfway before she peeled off, a very unladylike gesture thrown in his direction.

"Son of a bitch!" Dean yelled, stopping in his tracks. Sam was calmly walking over to him, his hands in his pockets.

"I think she likes you, Dean." Sam smirked as Dean offered up the same gesture in his brother's direction.


	3. Chapter 3

"What makes you think she's gonna show?" Sam looked over at Dean whose eyes were fixated on the darkened house, watching for even the slightest movement. They had been parked outside of Amy's home for two hours now with no sign of the Mustang or the woman who owned it.

"Because it's what we would do," Dean answered confidently, not breaking his gaze. He didn't quite understand why solving this case was so important to him. He had worked with other hunters in the past to close a case, but ever since his impending trip to the pit was booked he felt as though he needed to wrack up as many "wins" as possible. As if the more people he saved, the better he felt about leaving the earth.

Sam stretched as much as possible in the small space and reached for a bottle of water. In mid gulp Dean swatted his shoulder and nodded towards the house. "Bingo."

Sam squinted into the darkness but stiffened as a shadow emerged from the hedges and slinked into the backyard. He noticed a flutter of a white dress and his pulse quickened. They both exited the car, being careful not to slam the doors and alert their guest. Guns drawn, they made their way into the front lawn and Dean signaled for Sam to go around the right side of the house while he went the opposite direction. There was a slight breeze blowing through and Dean could have sworn he heard the soft hissing of a snake as he neared the far left corner of the house. He peered around just enough to catch a glimpse of a woman's figure standing below what he assumed what Hannah's window. She was staring up at the house, unmoving, as if waiting for some sign of life from the window above.

Dean caught Sam's eye from across the lawn as he finally appeared and nodded. In a split second, before they could react a hiss rang out and the woman grabbed onto the siding and pulled upward. Their eyes widened as her legs transformed into a sleek, black snake's tail and she began to slowly slither up the side of the house. Dean couldn't help the thought of 'snakes, why'd it have to be snakes' cross his mind at that moment. He shook his head and stepped out into full view, aiming at the creature he'd never seen before.

"Hey! Gorgeous!" The creature whipped her head towards Dean and hissed angrily, her eyes glowing yellow in the darkness. With a quickness she turned and began to descend but a shot rang out as Sam put a bullet through her chest. She made a sickening sound and fell the rest of the way to the ground, writhing in pain. "Ha! Nice shot, Sammy."

Before either one of them could come any closer, the creature shot upright on the tip of her tail spitting violently. The bullet seemed to have only stunned her for the moment. She turned her attention to Sam, ready to lash out in revenge.

"Oh shit," Sam mumbled before firing off another round which hit her arm this time and did absolutely nothing to slow her down. Before he knew what was happening, a quick whip of her tail sent him flying across the yard and into a tree. He hit with a loud thud and cried out in pain, sliding to the ground with ease. He blinked rapidly as stars appeared all around him, but couldn't get to his feet immediately. He faintly heard Dean yell his name followed by rapid fire.

Dean started to empty his clip into the creature, knowing it wouldn't do much damage but successfully taking her attention away from his brother. "Come on, you bitch!" he yelled as he backed away.

She smiled at him, slinking closer on her snake belly, clawing at the ground with her human hands. The hiss coming from her mouth was louder now as she lunged for Dean. She pinned him easily despite his best efforts to fight her off. A disgusting, split tongue emerged from her lips and she licked the side of his face as if tasting her dinner first. He closed his eyes as she drew her hand back, waiting for the fatal blow.

Instead, he felt her stiffen and the sound of a blade cutting through flesh caused him to snap his eyes open. He saw her head, wide eyed flung from her shoulders spewing blood in all directions. He instinctively covered his face to avoid the shower and felt her body slump against him. With a grunt of disgust, he pushed the lifeless serpent to the side and stared up at the brunette woman yielding a large machete.

"You."

"Me," she said simply, wiping a few drops of blood from the side of her face.

"What are you doing here?" Dean stood, grabbing his gun that had landed a few feet from him. He tucked it into the pocket of his jacket after engaging the safety.

"Saving your ass, cowboy." She turned on her heel, not waiting for a rebuttal and made her way over towards Sam who was now sitting up, holding the back of his head. "You ok?"

"Yeah, I'll be fine." Sam winced, looking up at her with thanks in his eyes as she held out a hand to him.

"I got him." Dean nudged past her and pulled Sam to his feet, putting a hand on his shoulder to steady him. Kristin rolled her eyes and held up her hands in defeat, knowing it would be pointless to offer any further assistance.

"Whatever," she mumbled, pulling an old dirty cloth from her pocket to wipe her blade clean. "You should take him back to the motel. I'll take care of the clean up."

"No, we can help," Sam offered. He ignored his brother's look of disdain. "It's the least we could do."

"Thanks, but I'm used to working alone." She was already half way back towards the decapitated corpse before Sam could open his mouth again. She crouched down to examine the body closer, wanting to make absolutely sure there was no more movement. She jumped slightly when the head landed next to her foot and she looked up to see Dean towering over her.

"Like he said, it's the least we can do." Their eyes met for fraction of a second before Dean cleared his throat and headed towards the front of the house.

"We've got a tarp in the car," Sam offered up, coming to stand beside her. His head still ached like a mother, but his vision had finally cleared. "I'm Sam."

She seemed to think about it for a second, her brow wrinkled before answering. "Kristin."

"That's my brother-"

"Dean, I know." She scoffed, crossing her arms over her chest. "I caught his name while you were breaking into my room earlier."

"Yeah, sorry about that." Sam shoved his hands into his pockets, a sheepish look on his face. "Dean can be…"

"Paranoid, rude, ungrateful?" Kristin threw a sideways glance at him, cracking a smile when he chuckled.

"Stubborn, mostly." Kristin gave him a 'no shit' kind of look and deposited her hands into her back jeans pockets. "We're both glad you were here to save our asses. Even if he won't admit it."

Kristin shrugged. "Yeah well, you two were kinda clueless showing up with guns to a knife fight."

"How did you know beheading would work?"

"Research. I think I had a one up on you with the whole snake skin thing."

"What snake skin thing?" Dean had returned with a large blue tarp tucked under his arm.

"When I was at the playground earlier I found a recently shed snake skin near the woods." She signaled with her fingers for Dean to start unwrapping the tarp as she spoke. "I asked Amy if this area had a lot of snakes and she told me no."

"So you searched for snake people?" Dean asked, grabbing one end of the corpse while Kristin and Sam took places on the opposite sides. With a grunt they all picked up the body and tossed it into the center of the tarp. Sam picked up the head and threw it on top with a look of disgust.

"No, I searched for mythical Greek or Roman creatures with both feminine and snake like qualities. Amy said the woman at the playground looked Italian or Greek." Kristin wiped her hands on her jeans and set about wrapping the body with Dean. "Then I narrowed the search to include any kind of creature that preyed on children."

"The whispering, the luring away, saying she wanted to be their Mommy," Sam chimed in.

"Yep. Lamia."

"Lamia? What the hell is that?" Dean asked, standing up to stretch.

"Lamia was a child eating demon from Greek mythology. There are two versions of the story. One is that Lamia was a mistress to Zeus and his jealous wife, Hera killed all of Lamia's children and turned her into a monster, cursed to devour other's children."

"And the other?" Sam questioned, impressed with her knowledge of the subject.

"Hera simply stole all of Lamia's children and she was so grief stricken that she started stealing and devouring children out of envy, which is what transformed her into the slithering monster you see here."

"Are you saying that all of the kidnapped children are dead?" Dean pursed his lips together, rage seething in his eyes. Of all the monstrosities in the world, innocent children paying the price was the worst for him.

Kristin sighed, avoiding his gaze and nodded her head sadly. "Most likely."

"Most likely isn't an option. If there's a chance some of these kids are still alive, we need to find them." Dean hadn't meant for his voice to sound so icy, but time was of the essence.

"Any ideas where she may have stashed them?" Sam asked quickly, seeing Kristin's eyes narrow and fists clench.

"Well since I did have a few hours to kill after you chased me off," her eyes flickered angrily at Dean before she continued, "I rode around looking for any places that may have fit."

"Dean…" Sam warned as he saw his brother grow impatient. The look Sam fixed him with froze him in place, mouth shut. "What did you find?"

"Nothing that the police hadn't already searched - abandoned buildings, old train cars and such. Then I thought, if I was a creepy crawly where would I go?" She pointed down with both index fingers. "Underground."

"Sewers?" Sam asked, wrinkling his nose.

"It's the only place they haven't searched and it seems pretty damn convenient when you need to disappear fast."

"Ok, let's start there then." Dean signaled for Sam to help pick up the body. "We'll get rid of this bitch first."

"You boys do that and I'll get started."

"No, dammit, will you just wait for us?" Dean growled in frustration, standing back up.

"Why?" Kristin scoffed, picking up her machete that had been laying at her feet.

"Suppose there's something else down there."

"I think I can take care of myself." She waved her hand over her recent kill, a cockiness in her voice that mirrored Dean's.

"I'm sure you can, Kristin." Sam stepped in between the two, sensing a heated argument brewing and he just wasn't in the mood for two stubborn asses at the moment. "We just want be prepared for anything. Please. We want to find these kids too."

The softness of his voice tugged at her and for a moment she felt that all too familiar feeling in her stomach. It was a nagging need to trust people that she kept in check, especially after the long road she'd been on. She sucked in her bottom lip and chewed on it idly, glancing between the two brothers. "Fine," she finally relented with an agitated sigh.

"Dean and I will go take care of this." He nodded towards the body. "Meet us back at the motel and we'll all go together. Maybe you could look up some of the sewage plans on your laptop? Give us a good starting point."

Kristin simply nodded and turned to make her way towards the adjoining backyard, back towards her car which was parked a couple blocks away. Her blood boiled at the thought of Dean, the ungrateful little shit. Not only had he interfered in her case, which she had managed to solve all on her own, but he didn't even have the decency to thank her for saving his life. It was a good thing his polar opposite, Sam was there to temporarily smooth things over. Hard to believe they were brothers and had to stand every waking moment with each other. It reminded her of a time when she had a partner...no! She shook the thought from her head, refusing to go to that place buried deep in her mind.

* * *

"You could be a little nicer to her, you know?" Sam paused and looked over at Dean as he turned back onto the main road, the body properly discarded. "She did kill that thing."

Dean rolled his eyes, gripping the steering wheel tighter. "If I apologize to her will you stop nagging me?"

"Only if you mean it," Sam replied simply. "I don't understand why you're being such an ass anyway. Hours ago you were ready to hit on her...now you just want to hit her?"

"I don't want to hit her," Dean argued, shaking his head. "Just drop it, Sam. I said I'll take care of it." He had to admit that he was being particularly short with her, but his pride had been hurt. Pride was just about all he had left besides the job itself and she had tainted both for the evening.

Both brothers were silent for the remainder of the ride back to the motel, each thinking about the pistol of a woman they were about to team up with. Sam was relieved when he saw her Mustang parked where it should have been. He was glad she had decided to wait for them, avoiding another clash of the titans between her and Dean. They pulled in next to her and got out, Dean lingering for a moment to actually appreciate the classic muscle while Sam knocked on her door.

Kristin opened the door, a small smirk on her face. "Thanks for knocking this time."

Sam chuckled and stepped in as she opened the door wider. She glanced over at Dean who was still mesmerized by the gray beauty and crossed her arms, leaning against the doorway.

"She's beautiful." Dean ran a hand over the hood, peeking up at Kristin with a soft smile. She blinked, visibly taken aback by the compliment.

"Yes, she is." She nodded towards the Impala. "Likewise."

Dean smiled and came to stand in front of her, hands shoved in his pockets. "Look, I uh…" She remained in her spot, raising a brow at him as if she wasn't quite sure what to expect. "Sorry for being a first class douche."

"An apology. Wow." Kristin nodded approvingly, bottom lip puckered out. "I get the feeling this is a rare occurrence for you." Her face remained blank to her best ability, but she could feel the ice melting inside at the sincerity behind his voice.

"You gonna bust my balls all night or forgive me?"

"We're good for tonight." Kristin smirked and quickly turned on her heel to head into the room where Sam had already taken a seat at the table. She figured she might as well take it for what it was and drop it. Dean followed close behind, shutting the door and locking it out of habit.

Kristin sat down in front of her laptop, pulling up a few documents while Dean wandered around the room, subtly peeking into her open duffle bag and taking inventory of the items on the bedside table.

"Hey, nosey." Her voice startled him and he peered up at both Kristin and Sam, eyeballing him suspiciously. "Park it." She patted the chair next to her and he cleared his throat, clearly caught, before settling down in the seat.

"What did you find?" Sam asked, leaning in close to examine a sketch of underground tunnels, twists and turns.

"Well, it's an older map of the sewer system, but I think it will get the job done." Kristin pointed at a particularly large area that was connected by several small tunnels. "Maybe we should start here?"

"It does look like a good spot for a Lamia to bogart a bunch of kids." Dean scanned over the image looking for anything that caught his eye, although this wasn't really his realm of expertise. "Where's the closest entrance?"

"About two blocks from the playground," Kristin smiled, feeling confident that it wasn't a coincidence. "Manhole just behind an old antique store that closed down about three months ago."

"Right around the time children started to go missing," Sam added. "The cops really didn't think of this?"

Kristin shrugged and shook her head. "Small town, low crime rate. Not a whole lot of field experience, I guess." She stood, grabbing the jacket from the back of her chair. "Me, I grew up just outside of Baltimore."

"Ah, a woman with experience." Dean grinned, raising his eyebrows at Sam who in turn rolled his eyes at the ever present tone in his brother's voice. The double entendre was not lost on Kristin but she just shook her head and shut the laptop.

"There's always one," she mumbled, looking up at Dean who was still grinning, very amused with himself. "Let's go before I change my mind."

They all piled into the Impala and took off towards town, Sam riding shotgun while Kristin settled into the backseat. The night was clear with a light breeze so Dean had all of the windows cracked while Black Sabbath played quietly on the radio. He watched Kristin from the rearview mirror as she unconsciously bobbed her head to the music.

"So," Sam was the first to break the silence, "how long have you been doing this?"

"Since I was thirteen." Her voice was soft and she didn't deter her gaze from the window.

"You have hunters in the family?" Dean asked, watching her closely from the mirror. He saw her visibly tense and pull her arms around her frame.

"No."

"Sorry, touchy subject?" Sam asked, sensing her mood from the short answers she gave.

"You could say that."

"Well, Sam and I have been in the business since he was crapping in a diaper." He chuckled when Sam gave him a 'dude, really?' type look.

"That's terrible," Kristin replied, looking between the two with a frown on her face.

"Not really. Our dad made sure we knew how to take care of ourselves." Dean shifted uncomfortably in his seat at the thought of their dad; gone and unable to teach them anything else. "Hell, I was burning corpses by the time I was seven."

"I just…" Kristin seemed to be searching for the right words to convey her feelings without hitting a sore spot. "It's sad that you didn't get to have a normal childhood."

"Tell me about it," Sam mumbled, turning his attention towards the window. Dean shot a heated look over at his brother, not wanting to get into this argument again.

"He did what he had to do." Dean cleared his throat and turned the inquiry back over to Kristin. "It wasn't all ponies, sleepovers and cookouts like I'm sure you had, but it was still a good time. To me, at least."

Kristin scoffed and leaned back again, crossing her arms over her chest. "Ponies and sleepovers. Right." She fixed him with an ice cold look before resuming her glare out the back window.

"Sorry, didn't mean to assume." Dean sighed in defeat, unsure of how to turn the conversation friendly. Their personalities seemed a little too lethal against each other and he hoped that they found these kids fast so they could go their separate ways. He wasn't used to such a combative female; usually they turned to mush from the moment he opened his mouth.

"Look," Kristin growled in frustration, although it was more at herself. "I just don't talk about certain things with...strangers. I'm not trying to be a bitch."

"It's ok, we're not prying," Sam offered up, turning halfway in his seat to look at her. "Just wanted to make conversation."

Kristin huffed out a long breath and loosened the grip she had on her arms. She let her arms fall to her side and lightly stroked the interior appreciatively. He watched as her eyes worked side to side, seemingly thinking of what to say next. It seemed like an eternity of silence before she opened her mouth again.

"I like watching _I Love Lucy_ reruns on my laptop." She gave a lopsided grin. "Helps me sleep at night, especially after a hunt."

Sam laughed wholeheartedly and it was a beautiful sound. "I always loved the episodes when they're in Europe. The vineyard one is classic."

"No way, the California ones were the best. Lucy always trying to have a celebrity sighting." Kristin leaned forward, engaging with Sam and momentarily forgetting about the daunting task ahead of them. "I think the one with John Wayne had me laughing the entire time."

"Sounds like you girls have something in common," Dean kidded. He didn't have time to recoil from the smack in the arm he received from the backseat.

"Don't tell me you don't like Lucy."

"Never really watched it," Dean confessed with a shrug.

"What?!" Kristin gawked at him wide eyed. "You are American right?"

"Dean's more of a porn connoisseur than a classic lover." Sam grinned at Kristin who rolled her eyes at the comment.

"Hey, Linda Lovelace was a classic," Dean defended with a smirk. Kristin leaned back in her seat with a huff. She shook her head but couldn't hide the amused smile on her face.

She found it fascinating how different the brothers seemed, at least thus far. She had to admit that each had a little something she was drawn to, but didn't dare humor the thought that she could actually get close to them; friendly or otherwise. In her experience, no relationship was safe and even though they were hunters themselves, she intended to keep them out of her twisted web.

The conversation was light as they drove towards their destination, but soon faltered as they pulled up behind the empty storefront. It was eerily quiet, not even the nightly sound of insects and singing frogs could be detected as they emerged from the car and headed towards the trunk.

Kristin emitted a low whistle as Dean opened the trunk, fishing around for a select arsenal that would come in handy down in the catacombs beneath the town. Kristin declined with the shake of her head and a pat to the pocket of her jacket where her trusty gun was ever present. The guys each armed themselves with a pistol, while Sam grabbed a machete and Dean snagged a crowbar before shutting and locking the trunk.

They made their way towards the alley behind the building and found the manhole cover easily. Dean crouched down and slipped the end of the crowbar into one of the holes and pushed hard, grunting loudly as the manhole moved just enough for Sam to slip his fingers underneath. With his foot now holding down the crowbar, Dean assisted Sam with sliding the heavy object to the side with a loud thud.

Kristin grabbed a small flashlight from her pocket and shone the light down into the dark opening. The light reached the bottom, just barely but she didn't see anything waiting to bite their toes off as they descended.

"Let me go first," Dean offered, holding out his hand for the flashlight. Kristin smirked, but decided to curb her argumentative nature and handed the light to him.

"Who says chivalry is dead?" She backed up and watched as Dean tucked the pistol into his jeans, handing the crowbar over to Sam. He hid the crowbar behind a stack of old crates, intending to get it later.

Dean sat down on the edge of the opening, feeling around for the ladder. Once his foot connected, he glanced up at them and nodded. He placed the flashlight into his mouth to free his hands and started his descent, glancing around every so often to make sure nothing was moving below him.

Both Sam and Kristin crouched at the opening, ready to pull their guns at the first sign of trouble. Once Dean reached the bottom and scanned the area briefly, he shone the light up towards them and flashed it twice.

"Ok, your turn." Sam turned towards Kristin and lightly placed his hand on the small of her back. "I'll be right behind you."

Kristin nodded and shuddered slightly at the feel of his hand. It was an innocent touch, but for some reason it made her nervous. She really needed to get a grip on herself and try not to let past experiences dictate her current interactions. She followed Dean's movements and waited until her foot connected with the first rung of the ladder before descending. Dean held the light up so she could see what she was doing and before long her feet connected with the floor.

While Sam made his way down, she glanced around at the dark, grimey accommodations. The ground was slick with recent water flow, the walls glistened with moisture and decay, and the smell made her nose wrinkle. She shuddered to think how terrified those poor children must have been, but hoped some of them had held on long enough to be rescued. Although, she knew their little minds would be plagued with nightmares for years to come.

"This way?" Dean said softly, shining the light in front of where Kristin's gaze was currently locked. She nodded and allowed Dean to take the lead once again. She got the impression that it made him feel better to be the one in charge, which consequently also made him the first target.

They all drew their guns as they made their way down the first tunnel, each trained eye ready for any movement from within the surrounding darkness. They also listened carefully beyond the sound of running water and occasional rat squeak. Kristin could swear she also heard her own heart beating loudly in her ears. She was preparing herself mentally for the worst case scenario but still felt her body reacting prematurely.

After thirty minutes of twists, turns and coming up empty handed, a low cry in the distance stopped them dead in their tracks. They all held their breath as they listened closely, unsure if it was actually real or a trick of their frustrated minds. Seconds later, another more distinct whine floated from the right side where another tunnel branched off. It definitely sounded meek, like that of a child who was desperate for something just out of reach.

Fighting the urge to run full speed towards the sound and potentially make their presence known, Dean switched off the flashlight and allowed their eyes to adjust to the darkness before breaking off with Dean and Kristin trudging against the right wall and Sam on the left. They hurried, careful to avoid splashing the water under their feet and made their way towards the growing intensity of the cries.

They reached an opening and paused, backs against the wall and listened once more. Several tiny coughs, whimpers and sniffles echoed inside the nook and Sam slowly peered around the corner into the room. He could make out several objects that looked like oversized dog crates, with tiny forms crouched inside; the children no doubt. There was also a table in the middle of the room with various tools and objects he couldn't make out, but what he didn't see was a threat to their rescue mission.

"We're good," he whispered to Dean, who nodded and turned on the flashlight again. He entered first, shining the light on the first cage he came to and assessed the lock on the door. It was an older padlock and could be easily broken with a single shot from his pistol.

"It's ok, we're here to get you out of here," Dean assured the frightened faces inside. They all cowered in the back of the cage, unsure of the man standing in front of them. Kristin and Sam also stood in front of the other two cages, softly trying to calm down a few of the smaller children who had started to cry.

"Shh, baby, it's ok," Kristin said soothingly to one little boy who looked to be no older than three. "We're going to get you home to your mommy and daddy, but you have to be brave, ok?"

"We need to blow these locks," Dean called out. They both nodded and turned towards their respective audiences and gestured with their hands to cover their ears.

"There's going to be a loud noise, so cover your ears," Sam stated to everyone in the room. All three drew their guns and waited until every little ear was covered and even some had turned away in anticipation.

"One...two…" Dean counted down. "Three!" The simultaneous pop sent the rusted metal exploding into several pieces and elicited a few screams from the already panicked prisoners.

They all set to work coaxing each of the children out while taking a tally in order to figure out how many survivors there were from the original fifteen kidnapped. It broke Kristin's heart seeing the tear streaked faces and fear ridden eyes, but one blonde eight year old girl caught her eye and a river of tragic memories flooded her consciousness.

She gripped the young girl's shoulders and felt her bottom lip quiver slightly as she looked into her frightened, blue eyes. "Are you hurt?" she asked softly and the girl shook her head slowly. "Good." Kristin forced a smile and placed a loose strand of blonde hair behind the girl's ear. She paused again, her vision blurring as tears threatened to fall from her own eyes.

"Kristin?" Sam's voice startled her and she swiped her hand across her eyes, realizing that he was standing right behind her. "You ok?"

"I'm fine." She stood and ushered the girl into the group. "I counted five over here."

Sam regarded her for several seconds before nodding towards Dean. "We counted seven between the two of us."

"So three kids are…" Kristin couldn't even bear to finish the question. Sam frowned and lowered his head, reaching out to squeeze her shoulder. She backed away from his touch and he quickly gave her a look of apology.

"We need to go." Dean's voice sounded strained, his own grief evident. He picked up a little boy who was reaching up eagerly, wanting to be held and innocently trusting the man who had just broken him out of his cage. "Everyone stay close, ok?"

Dean lead the way, as usual, with half of the brood following close behind while Kristin placed herself in the middle of the pack and Sam brought up the rear. They trudged through the damp tunnels, stopping only to pick up the smaller children who started to lag behind. They guessed that they hadn't been properly nourished and their energy level wasn't as it should be. The journey seemed endless, but they finally reached the manhole, the moon beaming down into the opening.

Kristin made herself scarce after everyone was safely above ground while Sam and Dean contacted the local authorities. It was going to be hard enough explaining how they found the children without raising questions about her own involvement. She decided to walk towards the town bar, needing the cool night air to clear her mind and a drink to cloud over it once again.

She couldn't stop thinking about the little blonde girl and how much she looked like Erin. The innocence mixed with a terrified knowledge that monsters truly did exist. She tried not to think about that version of Erin, or even too much of her at all because it always brought her to a dark place. She shook her head violently once more, trying to empty the memories before fresh, hot tears could spill over. She knew if she kept Erin on her mind while she drank, she just might accidentally spill the beans to the Winchesters about everything; something she wasn't ready for.

* * *

Almost two hours passed before Sam and Dean trudged into the bar, looking very exhausted. Kristin had grabbed a booth in the back of the establishment and was leaning back in her seat, eyes slightly hooded. She had a half empty glass of Four Roses cradled loosely in her hand on top of the table, but it certainly wasn't her first helping.

Dean stopped at the bar to order drinks while Sam made his way over to the table. Kristin gave a half smile as he slid into the seat opposite from her but didn't say a word. There wasn't much to say about the situation; it was great to save the day, but still stung like hell that three children paid the ultimate price.

Dean plopped down next to Sam and handed him a bottle of Blue Moon, a sure sign that he would be doing the driving later while Dean sloshed around a glass of Crown Royal. He looked grim, more so than Sam. What a barrel of fun they must have looked like to outsiders.

"How much catching up do I have to do?" Dean asked, nodding towards Kristin's drink as she took another sip. She let out a chuckle and raised her glass to both of them.

"Saddle up, cowboy."


	4. Chapter 4

"So what's with the black cat?" Dean asked, pointing at the tattoo on Kristin's left wrist. It was the first time since they met that he actually had a peaceful moment to really take in her appearance. She gave a shrug and lifted the glass of bourbon to her lips.

"I like pussy," she stated matter-of-factly. She tried to keep her face expressionless as Dean choked on his own drink and Sam had to smack him in the back a few times.

"Seriously?" he asked with a glimmer of hope in his eyes.

"No." Kristin scoffed and gave them both a big, drunken grin. "I just have a thing for cats."

"You could give him a heart attack you know?" Sam laughed at the disappointed look on Dean's face. He had long since stopped drinking but was enjoying the banter between the two as long as it meant they were in better moods. Their celebration-pity party had turned friendly about an hour ago.

"So that means I have a shot then?" Dean leaned in and flashed his best seductive smile in Kristin's direction, although in his current state it wasn't as slick as he intended it to be. Kristin winked and leaned in as well until their faces were practically inches apart.

"Not a chance." She leaned back in her seat and Sam had to bite back a chuckle. It was rare that his brother struck out, but he always got a small sense of satisfaction out of it.

"Why not?" Dean pouted and downed the rest of his drink. "Too much to handle, right?"

Kristin laughed at his blatant arrogance, but was not put off. She looked at Sam with her mouth hanging open, shaking her head as if to say 'can you believe this guy?' He shrugged emphatically and rolled his eyes, the grin still not leaving his face.

"First things first, Dean. I'm not just another barfly bimbo that you can sweet talk into your bed. Second, there are few things in life I can't handle." She paused to gulp the last of her final drink for the evening before staring him straight in the eye. "Lastly, being drunk is a perfectly good waste of a decent fuck."

Both men fell silent and watched as she slid out from the booth and paused to ensure she could stand on both feet. "Excuse me while I visit the ladies room." They both watched her walk confidently away until she was out of earshot.

"Dude." Sam gave Dean one good slap on the back and smirked. "Burned."

"Shut up," Dean mumbled, glancing around the room. "I got plenty of other contestants."

His eyes fell on one particularly busty blonde leaning against the bar talking to her small group of friends, trying to hide her interest in him as she threw frequent glances in his direction. It was clear from the look on Dean's face that she would be the winner as he scooted out from the booth and made his way over to her.

Sam watched with a grimace at the drunken body language being exchanged between the two, but knew there was nothing he could say to deter his brother's mission. He figured, if it made him happy for the moment then he wasn't going to stand in his way. Although he didn't approve of Dean's lack of care at his current situation, he was still unsure of how to get through to him. He was going to Hell once his year was up and he didn't seem to care at all. It was all booze, sex, and hunts with no consequences. Sometimes he wondered if Dean would have been just as happy to die of any one of those things before the Hellhounds had a chance.

"Oh good Lord." The sound of Kristin's voice broke Sam out of his reverie and he followed her gaze towards the bar where Dean was currently whispering something into the blonde's ear that she found very amusing. "He doesn't give up, does he?"

"No, he doesn't," Sam replied with a sigh. "That's Dean though."

Kristin sat back down across from Sam and laid her head to the side in one hand, regarding him carefully.

"What's your story, Sam?" When he looked at her with a confused face she continued. "How come you're not out there chasing tail?"

Sam laughed softly and clasped his hands together in front of him, staring at his entwined fingers. "Not really my style."

"As in you don't like one night stands or you don't have any game?" She raised a playful eyebrow at him and smiled, not really meaning to pick on him.

"Neither, actually."

"I didn't mean to tease. My tongue gets a little loose after a few." She reached out and patted his hands.

"I like your tongue," Sam said in a low tone, setting her with a smoldering stare. Kristin blinked and nervously cleared her throat, clearly taken aback by the comment. She slowly slid her hand back from his and rubbed the side of her neck which suddenly felt sweaty. Before another word could be uttered, Sam's face faltered and he laughed hard. "See, I got game."

Kristin quickly recovered and reached across the booth to smack him in the shoulder. She started to laugh at how easy she was fooled, but was glad for the humor. She hadn't laughed so openly in months and even if it was the alcohol lowering her inhibitions, she was grateful for the release.

"Real slick, Sam." She leaned back and stretched her arms above her head. "Are you my designated driver or do we have to wait for Don Juan over there?"

They both looked over at Dean, who had managed to get the blonde to ditch the conversation with her friends and was running his hand up and down her arm. Kristin scrunched her nose, unsure of why it bothered her in the least to watch the scene unfold.

"I'll be right back," Sam said miserably, not wanting to eavesdrop on whatever inappropriate thing he was sure Dean was saying at that very moment.

Kristin watched as Sam interrupted the flirtation, talking to Dean and motioning towards the table. Dean's gaze flickered over at her for a brief second and she could swear he was giving her the stink eye, although she couldn't decide if it was for the interruption or her earlier rejection. She turned her attention towards more important things such as digging around in her pocket for some cash. As she was fidgeting with the bills she felt Sam's large presence descend over her.

"Looks like it's just you and me." He nodded towards his brother who was paying a tab, the blonde bouncing eagerly behind him in anticipation. "He's going to hitch a ride with her back to the room."

"Whose room?" Kristin asked as she stood, throwing a decent tip onto the table and slipping into her jacket.

"Ours." The look of disgust on his face didn't go unnoticed as he too slipped on his coat.

"And what are you supposed to do?"

Sam shrugged and motioned for Kristin to go ahead of him, resisting the urge to place his hand on the small of her back again. "What I usually do. Camp out in the Impala."

"That's ridiculous." They made their way through the crowd and out the front door. The night air felt cool against Kristin's face and she took a deep breath.

"What would you rather me do? Pull up a chair with a bowl of popcorn?" Sam joked as they walked to the Impala which was parked towards the rear of the parking lot.

"No," she scoffed. "It's just not fair that you get kicked out."

"Doesn't bother me." Sam sighed as they reached the car and he stood for a moment with the key in his hand. "I kind of owe him anyway."

"How so?" Kristin waited on the passenger side to be let in, clasping her hands together and laying them on the hood of the car. Just then a loud drunken female squeal floated within earshot and they saw Dean and his conquest making their way towards a car at the opposite end of the parking lot. Again, Kristin clenched her jaw at the ridiculous sight.

"He's my big brother. He's always taken care of me." There was a sadness in Sam's voice, but before Kristin could probe further he unlocked the car and hopped inside. He reached over and unlocked her door before bringing the Impala to life. She slipped in and leaned back into the seat with a content sigh as the fogginess in her mind settled.

She decided not to say another word as she could sense the hesitancy in his voice that she herself used all the time when it came to revealing intimate details of the past. Sam was struggling with some kind of guilt that stemmed from Dean watching over him. She could tell that they were close, despite their sometimes clashing personalities and whatever debt Sam felt he had to pay, she wasn't going to question it.

The ride back to the motel was silent except for the soft music on the radio and Kristin took the opportunity to close her eyes and relax. All things considering it hadn't been a bad night, teaming up with the Winchesters. It had a familiar feeling that comforted her, knowing she wasn't alone in this fight against evil. She hoped to cross paths with them again in the future; maybe work another case together. However, all these thoughts could just be the ranting of an alcohol induced mind and she would flee as soon as the sun hit the horizon.

She felt the car come to a stop and the sound of the engine died, signaling the end of their ride. She opened her eyes reluctantly, groaning as the tacky neon lights flashed in her face. She turned her head to find Sam staring at her expectantly.

"Thanks for the ride."

"No problem." He smiled that signature sweet and tortured smile of his that tugged at the heart strings. "Thanks for...everything."

"You're welcome." Kristin paused, biting at her bottom lip. The angel and demon inside of her were currently having an argument about the importance of trust and companionship. History always seemed to repeat itself, but for tonight the battle of sanity was being lost. "Look, why don't you come hang in my room?"

The look of shock on Sam's face almost made her bolt from the car. Any hesitance on his part would be a perfect opportunity to come to her senses. "Come hang in your room?" he clarified suspiciously.

"Yeah. At least until the coast is clear."

As if on cue, a red Honda pulled in a few spaces down from them. Kristin almost laughed as the sound of Britney Spears came blaring from the open windows. They watched as Dean stumbled out, a brief look of uncertainty on his face at the choice he made. He quickly recovered when he saw the two of them watching him from the Impala. With a wink in Sam's direction, he escorted the blonde to the door of their room and disappeared inside.

Sam weighed his options and finally gave Kristin a nod, unsure if he should even be wary of the implications. As if she could read his mind, she stuck a finger out at him.

"Just to be clear. This isn't an invitation for any funny business."

"Understood," he replied, raising his hands in defense. He looked so sincere that she couldn't even pretend to be suspicious of him.

"Ok then. _Lucy_ marathon?"

* * *

The ease of which Sam and Kristin settled into their evening together surprised the both of them. It was as if they had been long lost friends reunited for the first time and everything had been the same as where they had left off. Kristin had fired up the laptop and they sat side by side on the bed, leaning against the headboard watching episode after episode and laughing until their sides hurt. At one point they both forgot who they were and what they did for a living and just lost themselves in being content.

Kristin had eventually dozed off in the middle of an episode and Sam had carefully removed the laptop from her grip and powered it down. In her state of unconsciousness he helped ease her down until she was laying on her side, hugging one of the extra pillows. He then went to the window to see if the red Honda was in the parking lot. It was gone, but he still didn't want to leave for some reason. After wrestling with himself for a while he decided to settle down next to Kristin, keeping the pillow in between them as a courtesy. Before long, he too slipped into a blissful slumber that he hadn't felt in a long time.

* * *

The sensation Kristin was feeling was amazing and so wonderfully familiar as she closed her eyes in ecstasy. Her thighs were locked onto her lover and he bucked slowly beneath her. She could feel his strong hands gripping her hips and the roughness that came from years of working with his hands made an exquisite contrast against her smooth skin. He smelled like sweat and motor oil, an intoxicating scent that she came to love. She finally opened her eyes and looked down at him, smiling at the look of desire in his blue eyes.

"Jeremy," she moaned softly, pressing her hands onto his chest. She felt his muscles tense under her palms, knowing he was getting close. She closed her eyes again, too overwhelmed with pleasure to keep her gaze locked and her composure intact.

Suddenly she felt a wetness trickling through her fingers. It was something thicker and warmer than sweat and she wrinkled her brow. Confused, she looked down at Jeremy once more and froze. His eyes were staring into her, unseeing and his mouth hung open in a silent scream. Fear and disgust gripped her abdomen as she realized his neck and torso were drenched in blood. She shakily removed her hands from his chest and watched as the crimson fluid ran down her arms. Her heart was beating fast and the ringing in her eyes nearly silenced the ear splitting scream that erupted from her throat.

Everything went dark as she continued to scream, tears flowing down her cheeks. At first she thought it was more blood and swiped viciously at her face trying to get it off. Beyond the ringing in her ears she could hear a male voice calling her name, but it was muffled and sounded so far away. Then, she felt two hands gripping her shoulders, shaking her hard. She fought against the assailant, flailing her fists in the air hoping to connect with any body part she could reach. It didn't seem to work because all she felt was air and then two arms wrapping around her.

"Kristin, stop! You're dreaming!" Sam pleaded loudly, tightening his grip on her. He had woken abruptly to the sound of her screaming and sitting straight up in bed. At first he thought she was being attacked by something, but quickly realized she was in the midst of a terrible nightmare. If there had been any other occupants of the motel they surely would have thought she was being murdered.

Kristin suddenly seemed to become aware of her surroundings and ceased her assault on him, crying loudly and trying desperately to catch her breath. When he felt her go limp he loosened his grip and turned her around so she was facing him. Recognition crossed her face as their eyes locked and she shamelessly buried her face into his chest and continued to sob.

"Shh, it's ok. I've got you." Sam caressed her hair softly, a worried expression on his face. This vulnerability she was showing seemed very out of character for her and he just knew this wasn't an ordinary nightmare she had been experiencing.

A loud banging on the door made them both jump, but Sam knew who it was before any words were spoken.

"Sam? What's going on?!" It was Dean. Even in his post coitus hungover state he was on alert.

"We're fine, Dean. Hold on." Sam pulled Kristin away from his body and looked down into her eyes which were still filled with tears. "I'm going to let him in, ok?"

At first she seemed to hesitate, clinging tighter to his shirt as if he would vanish the moment he stood up. Then she nodded and allowed him to untangle himself from her, dropping her face into her hands as if to hide the shame of her behavior.

Sam disengaged the lock and opened the door to find a half asleep and half dressed Dean on the other side. He had threw on a pair of jeans and his green, long sleeved shirt which hung open. He had no shoes on but it didn't seem to phase him. Sam signaled for him to lower his gun and leaned in close to whisper.

"She had a nightmare. I couldn't calm her down."

"Jesus, I thought…" his voice trailed off as he looked over at the shaking form on the bed. She looked so small at that moment, hunched over, raking her hands over her face trying to wash away the tears. "Is she ok?"

"I don't know," Sam answered with a shrug. "Hasn't said anything yet."

Dean came into the room so Sam could close and lock the door once more. He laid his gun down on the table and cautiously made his way over towards the bed, dragging one of the chairs behind him. He didn't want to get too close as if he was afraid to spook her. Sam shuffled past him and sat down on the bed next to her, reaching out tentatively to caress her shoulder. This time she didn't recoil from his touch.

"Kristin?" he asked softly. "Are you ok?"

She huffed out a long, staggered breath and let her hands fall into her lap. Her face was pink and slick from all the moisture but the waterworks had turned off. There was still a sheen in her tired, hazel eyes as she focused on Sam.

"Yeah. I'm sorry I woke you." She sheepishly turned and locked eyes with Dean. "Both of you."

"I'm just glad you weren't hurt," Dean admitted. "You were screaming pretty loud."

"I'm so embarrassed." Kristin looked down at her hands, shaking her head. "They just keep getting worse."

"You don't have to be embarrassed. We all have nightmares." Sam patted her knee, surprised at how accepting she seemed to be with his affection now that her senses were back.

"More like memories on steroids," she responded helplessly.

"You want to talk about it?" Dean asked. He too had been having some pretty frightening dreams, although he knew they would soon become reality.

"No."

"You can trust us, Kristin." She looked up at Sam, feeling her walls crumbling. This particular dream had rocked her core and she desperately wanted to banish it from her mind.

"It's so fucked up." She caressed her temples miserably with both hands.

"Fucked up is kind of our thing," Dean admitted with a crooked smile.

"Not many people know who I really am. I find that they're safer that way."

"We've already got targets on our backs, sweetheart." Dean flinched slightly when Kristin shot him a glare for the name. "Sorry, bad habit."

"You seem to have a lot of those," Kristin responded lightly, the corners of her mouth turned up subtly. "By the way, where's your...date?"

"Date. Right." Dean leaned back in his chair, running his fingers through his hair. "Left a while ago."

"Not the master of the morning after, huh?"

"No, but you seem to be the master of changing the subject," Dean countered, crossing his arms.

Kristin sighed and worked her bottom lip with her teeth. "I told you, I don't just share things like this."

"What if we told you something about us?" Sam offered. She seemed to think about it for a moment, then nodded.

"Ok," she turned to Dean, her eyes boring into his, "but I want you to tell me."

"Me? Why?" Dean was confused by the sudden interest. Clearly the connection between Kristin and his brother was stronger.

"I haven't figured you out yet. You're like me though; guarded." She cocked her head to the side and regarded him curiously. "Maybe if you can dig deep, so can I."

Truth be told, she was very interested in what hid behind those green eyes. She had experienced the hard ass, ladies man thus far but saw glimpses of something else. She saw it when he apologized sincerely earlier in the evening, when he carried the small boy the entire time through the tunnels, and again when he damn near burst into the room ready to save the day. There was more to Dean Winchester and if he could let down his guard long enough to be even a little vulnerable, maybe there was hope for her.

"Fair enough," Dean conceded, nervously. For some reason he felt very exposed under her intense gaze, but was also oddly flattered that she had chosen him for her trust test drive. Most people found it much easier to talk to Sam with his puppy dog eyes and empathetic tone of voice, but here she was wanting to hear from him instead.

Kristin listened as Dean explained the circumstances behind their mother's death and how their father had made it his life's mission to track down the yellow eyed demon. He shared some of their childhood hunts and how he was always in charge of keeping Sam alive. She felt her heart clench as his voice strained every now and then. She recognized that feeling of obligation to protect his younger sibling and found herself relating to him more and more as he spoke.

Dean was surprised at how easily the words flowed from his mouth once he got going. She was easy to talk to; no interruptions, no judgement. The sight of her in such agony, slunked on the bed when he first entered seemed to strike a chord deep inside him. Ever since they met she had exuded confidence, which bordered on cockiness and was stubborn as hell. She was always prepared, had a love for classic cars and could handle a gun like a pro. She was the mirror image of himself which meant she too bore a terrible burden that ate away at her soul. He could see it now and suddenly he felt that he needed to help her, but there was a limit to what he could bear to say out loud.

Sam too was surprised at his brother's confession, but noticed how Dean steered clear of their father's demise and the circumstances leading up to Dean's own deal. That part didn't surprise him in the least. If he wasn't willing to let his own brother save him, why would he bother telling her about it at all? As far as she knew, they were still hunting their mother's killer and their father was simply gone.

"I'm so sorry about your mom." Kristin reached out and touched Dean's knee, giving it a small squeeze. "Thank you for trusting me with that information." She stared into his green eyes, which were slightly glazed over from the memory and offered a small smile of comfort. Before he could cover her hand with his, she withdrew and turned her attention to Sam, giving him the same sympathetic touch.

"Sounds like we have a similar demon problem," she sighed. The brothers exchanged a look then watched as she visibly struggled with herself. She closed her eyes and let out another long breath, preparing herself for something she never did before; tell the whole truth. "I guess I should start from the beginning if this is going to make any kind of sense."

"It's ok. Just take your time," Sam insisted softly.

Kristin looked between Sam and Dean one last time, waiting for some sort of red flag that would convince her to keep her mouth shut. She didn't see one. They were born into this life, conquered horrors no one should be faced with and still carried on. They would understand and she would trust them. For now.

"My parents never wanted me. I was born six years after my brother. I was a mistake." Kristin fixed her eyes on something in the distance, not wanting to look at either one of them while she spoke. "My father worked in construction and was always getting home late at night. He would go straight for a bottle of whiskey and just waste away on the couch until the next morning. My mother was just a plain old, dirty skank. She brought home strange men while my dad was at work or would disappear for days at a time. I guess being a mother wasn't the life she wanted to live.

"I was often left to my own devices; cooking for myself, trying to study, playing with imaginary friends. I was always too embarrassed to bring anyone from school home with me. Then there was my darling brother, Nick. He was always beating up on me and I'm not talking about playful, sibling tussling. I had bruises and cuts all over me. One time I cracked a rib from being pushed down the stairs. My father got pissed that he had to pay for my medical care and decided that I didn't deserve any pain killers. He sold them for some extra cash.

"It went on for years and I found myself just brimming with hate and rage all the time. I didn't care about my school work anymore, I became a hermit basically, locked in my room so I could avoid the beatings and yelling. My mom eventually left when I was twelve and that year was the worst. My father started drinking during the day and my brother had started experimenting with drugs and couldn't hold a job to save his life.

"I remember a few weeks before my thirteenth birthday I was watching TV, thankfully alone for once, and I saw an ongoing story about several families in the area being slaughtered in their homes. There was always one survivor left, babbling about "a darkness taking over" and not being able to stop it. They were carted off to prison, most likely with an insanity plea in their back pocket. I remember thinking to myself how much I wished my family was dead. How I hated my life and just wished for a way out. I had so much hate in my heart."

Kristin paused and wrapped her arms around her body, a look of regret on her face. She never wanted to feel that kind of rage ever again and even talking about the memory gave her chills.

"My birthday came and of course it was like any other day. I spent most of the time in my room, reading a book and watching the rain fall outside my window. My father was passed out on the couch after another night of binge drinking. Nick had been gone for two days with his rabble of drug addicts and hoodlums, but decided to come home that night. I could hear him stumbling around downstairs, slamming cabinets and cursing. I remember praying for just one night of peace as a birthday present.

"The next thing I knew, he was banging on my door like a wild animal. I yelled at him to stop but he started kicking at it instead. I just sat on my bed, holding my hands over my ears and screaming. The door finally gave away and he came charging into my room. The look in his eyes was just...beyond anything I'd ever seen. Whatever he was hopped up on had consumed him. I didn't even have time to react before he was on top of me.

Fresh tears had started to gather in Kristin's eyes and she swatted at them. She finally looked into Sam's eyes and he could see the torment. "Your big brother is supposed to protect you, right?" Then she shook her head and dropped her gaze back to her lap.

"He had an arm across my throat and his other hand over my mouth so I couldn't scream. Not that it would make any difference. He had a sickening smile on his face, like he enjoyed my pain. Then he said, 'a whore just like our mother' and slapped me hard. I almost blacked out when my teeth clattered together. I thought I was in for the beating of my life but…he started tearing at my clothes."

Dean felt sick to his stomach as he sensed where the story was headed. He could feel his fists clenching as they laid across the tops of his thighs, wishing he could somehow jump into the story and beat the living crap out of her brother. Suddenly, he felt guilty for hitting on her earlier.

Sam's face was twisted in disgust as well and he wanted to pull her into his arms just to protect her from the memory. He dared not touch her in fear of a violent reaction, seeing that her eyes were clouded over as she trudged through.

"I tried to fight him, but he was just too strong for me. I felt so many things in that moment - fear, betrayal, anger. I prayed for the strength to do _something_; for something to save me. I guess I should have been more specific in my request." Kristin's jaw tightened and her eyes narrowed unbeknownst to her.

"I remember the strangest feeling, like all of the air being sucked out of the room in an instant. I looked up into Nick's eyes and they were widened in surprise and what looked to be pain. I was confused because he had stopped tearing at me and everything was so quiet. I couldn't hear the rain splattering against my window or the thunder rumbling in the distance. I could only hear my heartbeat pulsing wildly.

"It was then that I realized I had my hand around his neck and was pushing him backwards, away from me. I was amazed at the strength I suddenly had and felt a rush of energy that ran all through my body. I was able to get to my feet, still holding him in my grip. By this point he had started clawing at my hand, trying to release himself but I wasn't phased in the least. I just looked at him and smiled. Then…" Kristin looked over at Dean, a chilling look on her face that caught him off guard. "I snapped his fucking neck."

Dean's chest tightened and he slumped back in his chair. "You were possessed."

Kristin nodded solemnly and turned her attention back towards an object in the distance, unable to look him in the eye once again.

"As I watched the life leave his eyes, I felt relieved, happy and then scared to death. Up to this point I thought that it was me wielding such power, that God had answered my prayers. Then, I felt the coldness envelope me and I was pushed back into myself. I could see through my eyes, but I no longer felt in control of my body. It was a cold, dark place inside and I couldn't escape."

Kristin's voice had started to hitch as she recalled the feeling of being invaded and alone at the same time. She hugged herself again and paused for a moment to gather herself while Sam and Dean exchanged knowing glances. Sam's possession had thrown them for a loop and Sam still had the occasional nightmare; lost memories of his time trapped inside his own body.

"I went downstairs and found my father passed out on the couch. I went to the liquor cabinet and grabbed a full bottle of Jack Daniels. I straddled him and proceeded to pour the alcohol into his mouth. He woke up almost immediately, fighting to breathe but I held him down easily. I kept pouring until he choked and eventually drowned. Again, I felt a surge of glee as I watched him die. It was like the demon was feeding off all my rage and turning it into ecstasy.

"I didn't know why, but I started tearing through the house, breaking everything I could get my hands on. I was laughing and screaming in delight like a mad woman. This went on for about twenty minutes before I heard the front door burst open. I thought maybe the neighbors had called the cops when they heard the ruckus. When I came barreling into the living room, ready to tear out some throats I was hit with water and it burned like fire.

"I fell to the ground screeching and before I knew what was happening, my hands were being bound and a woman was surrounding me with a circle of salt. I looked behind me to find her male companion tightening the ropes and I tried to bite him, but he doused me again. The demon inside me knew instantly they were hunters and were going to exorcise it. It told me that it wanted to possess me again and refused to be sent back to Hell. It said that my rage felt all warm and wonderous. It would be back for me when my guard was down again.

"It left me in a cloud of smoke before either of the hunters could utter a single incantation. I passed out, too exhausted and frightened from the experience. I woke up a few hours later in another house. A little blonde girl was sitting next to me on the bed, wiping my face with a wet rag." Kristin closed her eyes, a few tears falling down her cheeks as she recalled the beautiful little face. "Her name was Erin, she was eight years old and her parents were Frank and Maggie, the hunters that saved me."


End file.
